Post-operative bunion splint

ABSTRACT

A post-operative pliable protector device for the hallux or big toe of a patient has a cushion pad with at least a portion thereof adapted to encircle the toe and formed with separable fastener (of the type marketed by Velcro, USA, Manchester, N.H.) having its loop-type fabric component fastened to and covering the backside of the pad and a strip of its hook-type fabric component fastened onto the front side of the pad across one end of the pad portion. A stiffening stay strip member may be fastened transversely across the backside of the pad portion at a location thereon generally medially between its opposite ends. The cushion pad may also have a rearwardly extending portion for encircling and fastening around the forefoot as by a similar hook/loop type separable fastener. A separate strip or tape of the hooked-type fastener fabric material may be fastened taut across the toe and forefoot encircled portions of the applied protector device to shift the toe from its normal position and hold it in a desired displaced position.

This application is a division out of Ser. No. 226,365 filed Jan. 19,1981 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,964 .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to a surgical splint or bandage devicefor protecting a pedal digit such as the hallux or big toe of a patentfollowing surgical or other operations performed thereon.

In many instances following surgical treatment of a pedal digit such asthe hallux or big toe of a human being, for example, the correction ofhallux abducto valgus or so-called bunions, it is customary andsometimes necessary to apply a protective splint device or bandage ofsome sort over the toe in order to prevent injury thereto and mitigateagainst pain caused by pressure against the surgically treated toe suchas exerted, for example, by adjacent toes or by a shoe worn on thepatent's foot. Heretofore, such toe protector devices generally havebeen formed by hand from a small pad of plastic foam or other cushionmaterial folded around the toe and held in place thereon as by wrappinga strip of surgical gauze or other fabric material around the cushionedpad encircling the toe. However, because of the close proximity of apatient's big toe to the adjacent toe and the difficulty of maintainingthem spread apart to permit the insertion therebetween and wrapping ofthe protector device and the gauze or other fabric retaining materialaround the big toe, the application of such hand-formed protectordevices to a patient's big toe has been a rather cumbersome and timeconsuming operation, especially in self-application instances. Suchapplication difficulty, moreover, is compounded each time such ahand-applied toe protector device has to be removed and replaced, forexample, when the patient wishes to bathe.

Toe straightening devices are known in the art, such as illustrated inU.S. Pat. No. 2,958,324 to Berkemann, which also afforded a limiteddegree of toe protection when in use. However, such devices, wherecomprised in part of a rigid molded plastic member as shown in theabove-mentioned patent, are not only comparatively expensive andcumbersome as well as uncomfortable in use but also interfere with thewearing of a slipper or shoe or other footwear over the applied device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention contemplates a new and improved form of a toeprotector or surgical splint device which overcomes all of theabove-mentioned problems and others characteristic of prior suchdevices, and provides a toe protector device which is of simpleone-piece form and easily and quickly applicable to a patient's toe andfoot even by the patient alone, and which is not unduly uncomfortable inuse and readily permits the wearing of a slipper or other footwearthereover.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, apliable toe protector or surgical splint device is provided comprised ofa pad of soft cushion material, such as a plastic foam or sponge rubbermaterial, having a hook/loop type separable fastener attached theretofor enabling quick and easy application of the device in place aroundand securing it to a patient's toe as well as ready detachmenttherefrom. The separable fasteners manufactured and sold by Velcro,U.S.A., Manchester, N.H. under the brand name VELCRO®, in which a tapemember having a plurality of woven hooks is adapted to engage and coactwith the loops of a brushed loop fabric member to form therewith afastener, is highly suitable for use in the present invention. Such afastener shall hereinafter be denominated a "hook/loop" fastener.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a narrow stiffening staystrip member may be fastened transversely across the backside of thetoe-encircling cushion pad in the medial region thereof between itsopposite ends for the purpose of imparting a degree of self-support tothe device and sufficient stiffness to keep the protected toe alignedwith the patient's forefoot. Advantageously, the protector device mayalso be provided with a plurality of transverse lines of weaknessforming parallel fold lines including a pair extending alongsideopposite sides of the stay strip member and another extending alongsidethe strip of the hook-type fabric material of the Velcro® fastener. Thefold lines permit ready folding and wrapping of the device around thetoe and interlocking engagement of the two component sections of thefastener means on the protector device so as to hold it securely inplace in its folded position around the patient's toe.

According to a still further feature of the invention, the cushion padalso may be provided with a rearwardly extending portion for encirclingand fastening around the forefoot as by a hook/loop type separablefastener. A separate strip of the hook-type fastener material may beemployed for attachment to and between the toe-encircled andfoot-encircled portions of the cushion pad to shift the toe from itsnormal position and hold it in a desired shifted position.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a one-piece toeprotector device of simple and low cost form which can be quickly andconveniently applied repeatedly to and detached from the large toe of apatient's foot by either the patient himself or by another person.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toe protector device ofthe type referred to which does not form a bulky and discomfortingbandage on a patient's large toe yet affords adequate protection thereoffrom shoe pressure as well as from pressure of the adjacent toe of thepatient.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a toe protectordevice of the type referred to which, in its applied state folded arounda patient's large toe, presents a soft cushion pad surface throughoutto, and in contact with the surface of the toe to minimize pain from anyexternal pressure applied to the toe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toe protector deviceof the type referred to which can be adjusted to shift and hold the toein a position other than its normal position.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof andfrom the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a toe protector devicecomprising the invention applied to a patient's large toe;

FIG. 2 is a front and elevation of the applied protector device taken onthe line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the toe protector device comprising theinvention prior to its application to a patient's toe, with a portion ofthe device shown partly broken away;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the toe protector device shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a rear plan view of the toe protector device of FIG. 3 with aportion thereof shown broken away;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken onthe line 6--6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a front plan view of a modified form of a toe protector devicecomprising the invention prior to its application to a patient's toe;and,

FIGS. 8 and 9 are top views showing the modified device of FIG. 7applied to the large toe of a patient's right and left foot,respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purposeof illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only and not forthe purpose of limiting same, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a toe protectoror surgical splint device A according to the invention applied onto apedal digit or large toe B of a patient's foot C, for protectionpurposes such as following surgical operations performed on the toe. Thetoe protector device A is in the form of a strip-shaped pliable body 10which, as shown, is folded and snugly wrapped in a single turn aroundthe toe B, with its opposite end portions 12 and 14 slightly overlappedand detachably fastened together along their interface, as indicated at16. The detachable fastening of the overlapped end portions 12, 14 ofthe folded-over body 10 is preferably accomplished by providing theinterfacing surfaces of the overlapped body end portions 12, 14 withhook/loop separable fastener surface components which interlock and holdtight with one another when firmly pressed together in face-to-facerelation but can be readily peeled apart and separated when desired.Such hook/loop separable fasteners with interlockable surfaces are wellknown and disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,717,47; 3,000,384; and,3,009,235.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-6, the toe protector or surgical splint deviceA comprises a generally rectangular-shaped pad 20 of a soft syntheticresin cushion material such as, for example, a soft foam plasticmaterial or sponge rubber, to the opposite side surfaces of which arerespectively fastened the two component fabric surface elements, i.e.,the looped-type and hooked-type fabric sections or layers 22, 24,respectively, of a conventional hook/loop separable fastener device suchas disclosed in the aforementioned patents. The looped-type fabric layer22 of such separable fasteners is one characterized by the presence of agreat many minute outwardly projecting loops (not shown) formed bycertain ones of the filamentary threads of the fabric that arepreferably made of nylon or other thermosetting synthetic resin materialcapable of being set by heat into a predetermined form. The hooked-typefabric layer 24 is characterized by the presence of a great manyoutwardly projecting hooks 26 (FIGS. 4 and 6) likewise formed in certainones of the filamentary threads of the fabric similarly made of nylon orother thermosetting synthetic resin and heated to set the filamentaryhooks in a more or less self-supporting but somewhat flexible condition.The primary or base fabric of such a hooked-type fabric layer material24 may comprise a plastic cloth. When the two layers 22, 24 are pressedtogether in face-to-face relation, a substantial percentage of the hooksand loops interengage and become locked with one another, thereby firmlyadhering the surfaces together. However, they may be readily separatedsimply by peeling them apart.

The looped-type fastener fabric layer 22 covers and is fastened to thebackside or surface 28 of the cushion pad 20 in any suitable manner, forinstance, by and edge binding or stitched overcasting 30. Preferably,the looped-type fabric backing layer 22 and the cushion pad 20 may befabricated of a material such as that commercially known as VELCRO® foamwherein the fabric layer 22 is bonded to a foam plastic pad 20 by anadhesive to form a composite material. A suitable one such compositematerial is that designated as VF-53 Velfoam® I of 1/4 inch thicknessand manufactured by Smalley and Bates, Inc. of Nutley, N.J.

The hooked-type fastener fabric layer 24 is in the form of a stripoverlying and fastened to the front side 32 of the cushion pad 20 acrossone end 14 thereof, also as by means of the edge binding or stitchedovercasting 30. The hooked-type fabric layer 22 by a stitched seam 38.

A narrow stiffening stay strip member 40, such as a somewhat flexibleresilient plastic strip, is preferably fastened flatwise on the backside28 of the cushion pad 20 in a position extending transverselythereacross and generally medially between the opposite ends 12, 14 ofthe pad. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the stay strip member 40 may besecured in place on the pad 20 by an overlying strip of cloth fabric 42stitched to the pad and fabric backing layer 22 thereon along stitchlines 44 extending transversely across the pad 20 alongside the staystrip member 40. The fastening cloth strip 42 also may be stitchedacross its ends to the pad 20 and fabric backing layer 22 along stitchlines 46. A similar stiffening stay strip member 48 may be fastened tothe front side 32 of the cushion pad 20 underneath the hook-type fabricend strip 24.

In the applied position of the toe protector device A on a patient'slarge or big toe B, the stiffening stay member 40 is located in aposition extending alongside the outer medial side of the patient's toeto aid in maintaining the toe aligned with the patient's forefoot 50.The transverse stitch lines 44, which secure the fastening fabric strip42 for the stay strip 40 to the cushion pad 20 and backing fabric layer22, form lines of weakness in the pad which serve as fold lines Ftherefor to enable ready folding or wrapping of the toe protector deviceA in proper oriented position around the toe B of the patient. Thestitched seam line 38 fastening the hooked-type fastener fabric strip 24to the cushion pad 20 also forms a transverse line of weakness in thepad serving as an additional fold line F' therefor to also facilitatethe folding or wrapping of the toe protector device A around thepatient's toe B and to further facilitate the pressure securing of thefastener sections 22, 24 together. The fold line F' also serves tominimize the inherent straightening forces in the cushion pad 20 tendingto unfold and separate the fastener sections 22, 24 from one another andthus unloosen the toe protector device A from around the patient's to B.

In the application of the toe protector device A of FIGS. 3-6 to thelarge toe B of a patient, they stay-reinforced mid-section 52 of thedevice A is first positioned and held firmly against the outer medialside 54 of the toe B in a position extending longitudinally alongsidethe toe side 54. The end 12 of the device A opposite the end 14 carryingthe hooked-type fabric layer strip 24 of the fastener is then foldedaround the toe B, after which the other end 14 of the device A providedwith the hooked-type fabric end strip 24 thereon is then folded aroundthe toe B to overlap the end 12 of the device A and pressed firmlythereagainst to interlock and adhere thereto, thus securing the device Ain place on the toe. The applied device A thus provides a protectivesheath for the patient's toe which is of minimal bulkiness and which canbe applied quickly and in a simple and facile manner and which willremain in place tightly wrapped around the patient's toe. Because of theeasily separable fastener elements 22, 24, the two ends 12, 4 of theprotector device A can be readily separated and the device unloosenedand removed from around the patient's toe B when desired, as when thepatient wishes to bathe, and subsequently replaced. If desired, aprotective underlayer (not shown) of a sterile bandaging material suchas cotton gauze fabric may be placed or wrapped around the patient'stoe, covering any incision therein, before applying the surgical splintor toe protector device therearound.

The modified form of toe protector device A' shown in FIGS. 7-9comprises a cushion pad 60 of the same material as the pad 20 in FIGS.1-6. The pad 60 includes a generally rectangular-shaped toe-engagingarea portion 62 (as delineated in part in FIG. 7 by the dash dot line64) having opposite side edges 66, 68 and ends 70, 72, for wrappingaround the hallux or big toe B of a patient. The pad 60 also includes agenerally rectangular-shaped forefoot engaging area portion 73 (asdelineated in part in FIG. 7 by the dash-dot line 74) extending parallelto the toe-engaging portion 62, for wrapping around the metatarsus orforefoot 50 of a patient. The forefoot-engaging area portion 73 is shownin FIGS. 7-9 as being joined to the toe-engaging area portion 62 by aconnecting area portion 75 of the pad 60 extending from one of the sideedges 66, 68 (e.g. side edge 68 in FIG. 7), of the rectanglular areaportion 62. The connecting area portion 75 is of appreciably lesslateral dimension d than the length 1 of the rectangular area portion62, at the junction therewith at the side edge 68 and along the line 64,so as to form an end portion 76 of the rectangular area portion 62 as aprojecting lateral flap portion. The forefoot-engaging pad portion 74terminates at its opposite ends in laterally extending wing portions 80and 82 for wrapping around the metatarsus or forefoot of a patient.

Hook/loop separable fastener means are attached to the pad 60 comprised,in part, of a looped-type woven fabric layer 84 (FIG. 8), the same asthe fabric layer 22 in FIGS. 1-6, covering and fastened to the backsideor surface 86 of the pad 60 by an edge binding or stitched overcast 30.End strip sections 88, 90 of hooked-type woven fabric, the same as thehooked-type woven fabric strip 24 in FIGS. 1-6, are respectivelyfastened to the front surface 92 (FIG. 8) of the pad 60 across theoutward or free flap end 72 of the rectangular toe-engaging area portion62, and across the outward free end of one or the other of the lateralwings 80, 82 of the forefoot-engaging area portion 73 of the pad 60,preferably across the wing 80 which project from the pad in a directionopposite to that of the projecting flap portion 76, as shown. The hookedtype fabric strips 88, 90 are fastened around their edges to the frontside of the pad 60 by stitched seams 94. The portions 96 of the seams 94which extend transversely across the end flap 76 and the lateral wingportion 80, along the inner side edges of the hooked-type fabric strips8, 90, for transverse lines of weakness in pad 60 serving as fold linesF' therefor to facilitate the folding or wrapping of the toe-engagingportion 62 of the pad around the patient's toe B and to facilitate thepressure securing the fastener strip sections 88, 90 to the backinglayer 84 to lock them together.

In the application of the modified toe protector device A' to the largetoe B of a patient, the forefoot-engaging and connector portions 73, 75of the device are placed either on top or beneath the forefoot 50(depending on whether it is to be applied to the right or left foot),with the rectangular toe-engaging area portion 62 positioned abreast ofthe toe B. The portion 62 is then wrapped or folded snugly around thetoe as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 with the hooked-type fabric end strip 88on the flap end 76 of portion 62 overlapping and overlying the other end70 of the portion 62, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The fabric end strip 88is then pressed firmly against the looped-type fabric backing layer 84on the pad 60 to interlock and ahdere thereto, thus securing thetoe-engaging area portion 62 of the device A' in place around the toe.Thereupon, the lateral wing portions 80 and 82 of the forefoot-engagingarea portion 73 of the pad 60 are folded snugly around the patient'sforefoot 50 and overlapped, and the hooked-type fabric end strip 90 onthe wing portion 80 then pressed firmly against the looped-type fabricbacking layer 84 on the other wing portion 82 to interlock and adherethereto, thus securing the forefoot area engaging portion 73 in placearound the forefoot 50. The forefoot-engaging portion 73 of theprotector device A' thus aids in holding the toe-enclosing portion 62 ofthe device in proper toe-enclosing position on the patient's toe Bagainst undersire endwise dislodgement therefrom.

In cases where it may be desirable, while the toe protector device A' isin place around a patient's toe B, to position and hold the toe in aslightly displaced position, i.e. upward or sideward, from its normalposition, a positioning tape or strap member 98 of hooked-type fastenerfabric material, as shown in dash-dot lines in FIGS. 8 and 9, may befastened at one end to the inward or outward side of the toe-enclosingportion 62 of the applied device A' and then pulled taut in the requireddirection to effect the desired displacement or positioning of thepatient's toe B relative to the forefoot 50, and the other end of thetautened tape 98 then secured to the forefoot-enclosing portion 73 ofthe applied protector device A'. If desired, the toe positioning tape orstrap member 98 may be employed as the sole means connecting or tyingthe toe and forefoot-engaging portions 62, 73 of the device together onthe foot of a patient, the intermediate connecting portion 75 of the pad60 in such case being eliminated and the toe-engaging andforefoot-engaging portions 62, 73 formed instead as separate elementssubsequently interconnected by the positioning tie strap 98.

The protective splint device A' as thus described above is an excellentadjunct in post-operative splinting following correction of halluxabducto valgus. Not only does it maintain correction in any axis ofmotion but the bindings restrict abduction and valgus rotation whileallowing for flexion and extension. The adjustable V-strap 98 allows forpatient comfort control while aiding in post-operative security of thesurgical site. Also, the materials employed for the splint device arebiologically compatible and hypo-allergenic, and the contours of thesplint are well suited to the anatomical structures to which it is to beapplied.

It is understood that such modifications, alterations and adaptations,as may readily occur to the artisan skilled in the field to which thisinvention pertains when confronted with this specification, are intendedwithin the spirit of the present invention which is limited only by thescope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toe protector device comprising a generallyrectangular toe-enclosing pad portion of cushion material havingopposite ends for wrapping around the toe of a patient and a generallyrectangular-shaped forefoot-engaging pad portion of cushion material forwrapping around the forefoot of the patient, hook-loop separablefastener means on said toe-engaging and forefoot-engaging pad portionsfor holding them in place wrapped around the toe and forefoot of thepatient, and connector means tying said pad portions together in placeon the toe and forefoot of the patient; said conector means having aseparate tie strap of hooked-type fastener fabric material connectableto said toe-engaging and forefoot-engaging pad portions in a selectedtautened position therebetween to locate and hold the toe of the patientin a desired position relative to the forefoot of the patient.
 2. A toeprotector device as specified in claim 1 wherein the said connectormeans further includes an intermediate cushion pad portion integral withthe said toe-engaging and forefoot-engaging pad portions of the device.3. A toe protector device as specified in claim 2 wherein the saidintermediate pad portion is of appreciably less lateral dimension thanthe longitudinal extent of said toe-engaging pad portion at the junctiontherewith so as to constitute a portion of the length of saidtoe-engaging pad portion as a projecting flap portion.
 4. A toeprotector device as specified in claim 3 wherein one of said hook/typefastener means comprises a strip of hooked-type woven fabric materialfastened across the free outward end of the said projecting flap portionof said toe-engaging pad portion.
 5. A device according to claim 1 inwhich said hook/loop separable fastener means is made of Velcro®material.
 6. A toe protector device comprising a pad of cushion materialhaving front and back surfaces and including a generallyrectangular-shaped toe-enclosing area portion having opposite ends forwrapping around the toe of a patient and a forefoot-engaging areaportion extending from one of the longer sides of said rectangular areaportion and being of appreciably less lateral dimension than thelongitudinal extent of said rectangular area portion at the junctiontherewith so as to constitute a portion of the length of saidrectangular area portion as a projecting flap portion, saidforefoot-engaging pad portion terminating in laterally extending wingportions which are generally parallel to said longer sides and are forwrapping around the forefoot of a patient, said wing portions eachhaving an outward end which is generally parallel to the shorter sidesof said rectangular area portion, hook/loop separable fastener meansattached to said pad and comprising a looped-type woven fabric backingsection covering and fastened to the back surface of said pad and havingfilamentary loops of flexible filamentary material, and end stripsections of hooked-type woven fabric material respectively fastened tothe front surface of said pad across one end of said rectangulartoe-engaging area portion thereof and across the outward end of one ofsaid wing portions thereof, said hooked-type woven fabric end stripsections having a multiplicity of small outwardly projecting filamentaryhooks of flexible resilient material for interlocking engagement withthe loops of said looped-type fabric backing section when the oppositeends of said toe-enclosing portion and said forefoot engaging wingportions are respectively overlapped and their hooked-type end stripsections engaged with and pressed against the looped-type backingsection of said pad.
 7. A toe protector device as specified in claim 6and comprising, in addition, a separate strip of said hooked-type wovenfabric material for stretching taut across and interlockingly engagingat its opposite ends with the looped-type fabric backing section of saidtoe-engaged and forefoot-engaged portions of said pad to shift and holdthe toe of the patient in a displaced position from its normal position.8. A toe protector device as specified in claim 6, wherein one of saidhooked-type woven fabric end strip sections is fastened across the freeoutward end of the said projecting flap portion of said pad.
 9. A toeprotector device as specified in claim 8, wherein the other one of saidhooked-type woven fabric end strip sections is fastened across the freeoutward end of that one of the said laterally extending wing portions ofthe pad projecting therefrom in a direction opposite to said flapportion.
 10. A device according to claim 6 in which said hook/loopseparable fastener means is made of Velcro® material.